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Review Posted on HomeDepot.comWe have had a terrible fly season and we tried the fly ribbons, sugary traps etc. My husband picked these up at Home Depot and I was a little skeptical but we were going away on vacation and I didn't want to come home to a house overridden with flies. I hung it by the window over my sink and when we returned it had 34 flies on it! Unbelievable! I am going to stock up on them. Much more attractive than the sticky tape too. Thanks, Victor!

All About Flies

If you understand the multiplier effect that can be generated by one female fly, you can see how trapping just one can have a dramatic effect on the local population.

The female housefly, for example, lives about two and a half months and lays between 600 and 1,000 eggs during its lifetime. On the average, 12 generations of houseflies are produced in one year. Therefore, that one female could be responsible for many thousands of flies.

Houseflies (black, non-glossy body) and blowflies (metallic blue/green/gold body) are the most common types found around homes -- both are categorized as "filth flies". Houseflies are attracted more toward animal manure and decayed food, while the blowfly is attracted more to decayed meat (road kill) or fish.

Both can be found around garbage. Houseflies will be more dominant around farms and animals, while the blowfly will be more dominant around wooded areas, waterways, and more populated human habitations.

Because of the difference in diets, most baits will attract either house or blow flies. Uniquely, the VICTOR® Bait will be equally effective on either house or blowflies.

Control Options

Natural & Organic Controls

What?

Indoor and outdoor fly traps containing non-poisonous baits, fly paper, and aerosol sprays containing pyrethrins/d-limonene are types of products that can be effective in controlling houseflies.

Indoor fly traps can be safely used inside the home when directions are followed. Outdoor fly traps can be used when many flies have infiltrated an area. There are different types of fly paper available for indoor and outdoor use as well.

Use non-poisonous aerosols such as those containing mint oil, pyrethrin, and d-limonene for instant spot control.

How?

Outdoor fly traps contain food attractants that draws flies. These traps should be placed outdoors according to trap instructions. Set these traps away from outdoor living spaces. By attracting flies, the trap will keep them away from your home, patio or deck.

Indoor fly traps may also contain food based baits and can be used safely in the home when directions are followed. Some traps attract flies just because of their 3-D look. Flies are always looking for a place to land and the color contrast of some traps creates the look of an edge for them to land. Fly paper, an adhesive type of paper, can be placed around windows, in garages, and in barns and stables.

Use aerosols in accordance with directions on the product label.

When?

Fly traps and fly paper should be placed when fly numbers increase. Flies increase in numbers as the temperature rises and often after rainfall since these factors cause the flies' eggs to hatch.

Flies are less active and roost in corners, on ceilings and on the tops of window panes during the heat of the day. Spraying them at this time of day is the most effective use of aerosol sprays.

Why Choose a Natural Solution?

Natural solutions break down quickly to their natural elements. They are preferable to chemical pesticides that leave residuals where they are sprayed causing long-term detrimental affects on the environment.

Environmental Controls

What?

Methods of controlling houseflies include all of the following: removing organic debris from the inside or outside of your house, properly maintaining screens and screen doors, and closing off any cracks in your outside walls that would allow flies to enter your home.

How?

Remove organic debris and trash near your home and in your yard. Place it in a trash bag and tightly close it. Put it out on trash day.

Make sure all of your windows have screens on them. Fix or replace any screens containing holes. Keep doors or screen doors closed.

Use caulk or weatherstripping to fill in any cracks or holes in the outside walls of your home.

Pet waste should be cleaned and disposed of often and removed with the trash weekly.

When?

Remove any organic debris and trash from inside as well as outside of your home throughout the year.

Check screens and screen door before installing or using in the Spring. Periodically check them throughout the summer. Also, check them in the fall before storing them.

Fill in any cracks or holes in your outside walls in late summer or early fall before houseflies enter your home in search of warmer surroundings.

FAQs

Flying Insect Trap - FAQs

Q: How do your Fly Traps compare in efficacy to one another and to an ultraviolet trap?

A: For outdoor use for flies, the fly trap is definitely the best. If by ultraviolet, you mean bug zappers, they are ok, but attract a lot of other insects that are otherwise not a problem, including beneficial insects. More»

Q: What is the fly bait made of and is the odor offensive?

A: The bait formulation is proprietary, but consists mostly of food grade ingredients, to be more specific (proteins). The odor is not as strong if the trap is placed in an area with a lot of air circulation. The important thing is that the flies love it!

Q: What do you recommend for indoor use and why?

A: I recommend Victor® Indoor Fly Trap, Victor® Fly Tape or Victor® Fly Strip for use indoor. This will attract and trap flies very effectively, and without the odor. More»